Finals week is approaching yet again. While it can seem like a never-ending week of dread and stress for many students, there are several tricks to surviving in a less miserable way.

Senior Thor Boutelle tried to get a jumpstart on his finals this quarter, since he is a self-proclaimed procrastinator. “It feels like the quarter just started and I’m already stressing out about finals,” Boutelle said. In preparation for finals week he goes to the library constantly and tries to thoroughly understand the most important material of each of his classes.

For all of the procrastinators out there, studying in groups might be one solution. It is harder to postpone a study session if plans have been made with multiple people. However, choosing the right people is crucial. A group of chatty students with more interest in gossip and less interest in productive studying is a waste of valuable time.

Senior Justin Louik said he makes notecards, studies a little bit every day and works out to relieve excess stress ahead of finals. His go-to saying is, “work the body to cultivate the mind.” Sitting in one place for a long period of time leads to a tired, useless mind, according to Louik. Exercising increases blood flow to the brain which makes studying more productive.

Junior Matt Moe said he cleans his room and tries not to have anything else distract him, particularly social media, so he can focus before finals week. In this digital age, while it is almost impossible for students to completely shut out from the online world, it can be beneficial to ignore social media for short, designated periods to focus on studying.

Some students may find creating a schedule with periods of time blocked out for studying can help with time management. It is easy to push off studying one more day until suddenly it’s the night before the exam and the only way to get any studying done is to cram it into an all-nighter.

Nearly everyone would agree that a good night’s sleep is essential for the best performance on an exam. However, many students are guilty of prioritizing a last minute cram session over sleep. It may seem necessary for students to pull an all-nighter to force as much information into their mind as possible, but this tactic is detrimental in the long run.

A student’s ability to remember material or reason their way to unsure answers is significantly diminished without enough rest. If all else fails and a student does miss out on sleep it can be tempting to drink extra coffee to compensate. This just causes the body to crash quicker. Instead, drink extra water.

Boutelle said the best advice he has received leading up to finals week is that “every class is different and every student is different. You just have to figure out what works for you. And of course don’t forget breakfast.”